Home appliance system, control method, and non-transitory computer-readable medium

ABSTRACT

A home appliance system according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes an acquisition unit that acquires an installation location of a home appliance; a condition determination unit that determines a use condition for using a measurement value from at least one sensor provided in the home appliance in accordance with the installation location and an operation time when the home appliance is run; and a home appliance control unit that controls the home appliance in accordance with an operation detail based on the installation location and a determination result obtained from the measurement value.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a home appliance system and the like. The present application claims priority from JP 2019-174083 filed in Japan on Sep. 25, 2019, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference into this application.

BACKGROUND ART

PTL 1 describes a technology capable of sensing the ambient illumination level with a humidifier and controlling a humidification operation on the basis of the sensed illuminance level.

CITATION LIST Patent Literature

-   PTL 1: JP H10-281504 A

SUMMARY OF INVENTION Technical Problem

In the humidifier described in PTL 1, when the illuminance level detected by a sensor is less than a reference illuminance level, a bedtime mode with a low humidification amount is executed.

One aspect of the present disclosure is directed at implementing a home appliance system or the like that is capable of controlling a home appliance with efficient operation details on the basis of a measurement value from a sensor depending on, for example, the installation location of the home appliance and the operation time of the home appliance.

Solution to Problem

A home appliance system according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes an acquisition unit that acquires an installation location of a home appliance; a condition determination unit that determines a use condition for using a measurement value from at least one sensor provided in the home appliance in accordance with the installation location and an operation time when the home appliance is run; and a home appliance control unit that controls the home appliance in accordance with an operation detail based on the installation location and a determination result obtained from the measurement value.

A control method for a home appliance system according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes acquiring an installation location of a home appliance; determining a use condition for using a measurement value from at least one sensor provided in the home appliance in accordance with the installation location and an operation time when the home appliance is run; and controlling the home appliance in accordance with an operation detail based on the installation location and a determination result obtained from the measurement value.

A control program for a home appliance system according to an aspect of the present disclosure causes a home appliance system to implement an acquisition function that acquires an installation location of a home appliance; a condition determination function that determines a use condition for using a measurement value from at least one sensor provided in the home appliance in accordance with the installation location and an operation time when the home appliance is run; and a home appliance control function that controls the home appliance in accordance with an operation detail based on the installation location and a determination result obtained from the measurement value.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram illustrating the configuration of a home appliance system and an information processing system according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a main portion of a server according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3A is a diagram illustrating an example of information indicating a use condition based on an installation location and an operation time of an air conditioner according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3B is a diagram illustrating an example of information indicating the type of operation mode based on the installation location and the operation time.

FIG. 3C is a diagram illustrating an example of information indicating the operation details of the air conditioner corresponding to the type of operation mode.

FIG. 4A is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation details in a case where the installation location of the air conditioner is “bedroom”.

FIG. 4B is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation details in a case where the installation location of the air conditioner is “living room” and “entrance”.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed on a user terminal according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing executed by the server.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a main portion of an air conditioner according to a second embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS First Embodiment

A first embodiment (Embodiment 1) will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. In the drawings, identical or equivalent elements are given the same reference signs, and redundant descriptions thereof are omitted.

Overview of Server 100

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a home appliance system 120 and an example of a configuration of an information processing system 121.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the home appliance system 120 may be a system including, for example, a server 100 and an air conditioner (home appliance) 105, or may be a system including only the server 100 (a system provided with the server 100). In the latter case, the server 100 operates as the home appliance system 120 to control the external air conditioner 105.

In addition, the information processing system 121 may be, for example, a system in which a smartphone (user terminal) 110 a is added to the home appliance system 120. Note that, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the information processing system 121 may further include a notebook PC (user terminal) 110 b. In other words, the number of user terminals included in the information processing system 121 may be one or more.

The air conditioner 105 is a home appliance having a humidity adjustment function, for example, humidification and dehumidification, for adjusting the humidity. In the present embodiment, the air conditioner 105 is used as an example of a home appliance, but the type of device is not limited thereto, and it is only required that the device has a humidity adjustment function (for example, the home appliance may be a humidifier, air freshener, air conditioner, or the like).

A typical air conditioner determines whether a person is present on the basis of a measurement value from a sensor in the air conditioner and operates according to operation details in accordance with the determination result. Here, in a case where the air conditioner cannot determine whether a person is present on the basis of only the measurement value from the sensor, the air conditioner may be able to operate according to appropriate operation details.

The server 100, however, acquires the installation location of the air conditioner 105, determines the use condition for using a measurement value from at least one sensor provided in the air conditioner 105 in accordance with the installation location and the operation time at which the air conditioner 105 operates, and runs the air conditioner 105 according to the operation details based on the installation location and the determination result obtained from the measurement value corresponding to the use condition.

In this manner, the server 100 can determine, for example, which measurement value of which sensor to use to determine whether a person is present on the basis of the installation location and the operation time and can determine the appropriate operation details according to the installation location and the determination result of whether a person is present. In other words, the effects achieved include that the server 100 can determine the appropriate method of use for the sensor provided in the air conditioner 105 on the basis of the installation location and the operation time and can determine the appropriate operation detail according to the method of use.

Note that the air conditioner 105 may, depending on the installation location and the operation time, determine a use condition for using the measurement value from at least one sensor, determine the operation details on the basis of the determination result obtained from the measurement value acquired on the basis of the installation location and the use condition, and operate according to the operation details.

In this manner, the effects achieved include that, even in a case where the air conditioner 105 is not connected to the server 100, the air conditioner 105 can determine the appropriate method of use for the sensor on the basis of the installation location and the operation time and can operate according to the appropriate operation details in accordance with the method of use.

Configuration of Server 100

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of main portions of a server. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the server 100 may include a communication unit 201, a storage unit 202, and a control unit 210, for example. The control unit 210 may include, for example, an installation location acquisition unit 211, an operation time acquisition unit 212, a measurement value acquisition unit 213, a condition determination unit 214, a measurement value selection unit 215, a degree of reflection determination unit 216, a determination unit 217, an operation determination unit 218, a home appliance control unit 219, an operation information acquisition unit 220, a learning unit 221, and a sound output control unit 222.

The control unit 210 has a function of integrally controlling various types of functions of the server 100, and is realized by a controller (a processor) such as a central processing unit (CPU), for example.

The communication unit 201 transmits and receives various data from the air conditioner 105 and the user terminal (for example, the smartphone 110 a and the notebook PC 110 b) via a network. Note that the communication unit 201 may be a hardware capable of communicating with an external device via a network compliant with a prescribed communication method. It is sufficient that the communication unit 101 be provided with an essential function for realizing the communication with the external device, and a communication channel, communication method, communication medium, and the like are not limited.

A reception unit 201 a may receive various pieces of information from the air conditioner 105 or the smartphone 110 a (or the notebook PC 110 b) and output the information to the units included in the control unit 210.

A transmission unit 201 b may transmit various pieces of information input from the units included in the control unit 210 to the air conditioner 105 or the smartphone 110 a (or the notebook PC 110 b), for example.

The installation location acquisition unit (acquisition unit) 211 acquires the installation location of the air conditioner 105. Here, the installation location indicates, for example, the location in the home of a user where the air conditioner 105 is installed and specifically indicates a bedroom, living room, entrance, kids room, or the like.

The installation location acquisition unit 211 may associate together and acquire, for example, a device ID (for example, a user ID, serial number, manufacture number, or the like) that can be used to identify the air conditioner 105 and the installation location.

The operation time acquisition unit 212 acquires the operation time indicating, for example, the time at which the air conditioner 105 is run.

The measurement value acquisition unit 213 acquires the measurement value measured by at least one sensor provided in the air conditioner 105, for example. Additionally, the measurement value acquisition unit 213 may acquire a plurality of measurement values from a plurality of sensors provided in the air conditioner 105, for example.

Note that the installation location acquisition unit 211, the operation time acquisition unit 212, and the measurement value acquisition unit 213 may acquire various pieces of information (for example, the installation location, the operation time, and the measurement value) directly from the air conditioner 105 communicatively connected to the server 100 or via the smartphone 110 a (or the notebook PC 110 b).

The condition determination unit 214 determines a use condition for using the measurement value from at least one sensor provided in the air conditioner 105 in accordance with the installation location and the operation time at which the air conditioner 105 is run (hereinafter, referred to as the “operation time”).

Furthermore, the condition determination unit 214 may determine, as the use condition, a condition for using the plurality of measurement values from the plurality of sensors included in the air conditioner 105, for example.

Furthermore, in a case where the installation location is an entrance, the condition determination unit 214 may determine, as the use condition, a condition for using the measurement value from an odor and dust sensor included in the air conditioner 105, for example.

The measurement value selection unit 215, for example, selects and acquires, from among the plurality of measurement values acquired by the measurement value acquisition unit 213, the measurement value corresponding to the use condition determined by the condition determination unit 214.

The degree of reflection determination unit 216 determines, in accordance with the relationship between the installation location and the operation time, for example, the degree of reflection indicating the degree to which the measurement value is reflected in the process of obtaining the determination result from the measurement value. In addition, the degree of reflection determination unit 216 may, for example, depending on the relationship between the installation location and the operation time, and under the use condition determined by the condition determination unit 214, set a use condition of not using the measurement value of one sensor as a use condition of lowering the degree of reflection of the measurement value of the sensor, associate together the type of sensor and the degree of reflection, and output this to the determination unit 217.

The determination unit 217 obtains, as the determination result, the result of determining whether a person is present in the installation location from the measurement value, for example. Specifically, the determination unit 217 obtains, as the determination result, a result of determining whether a person is present on the basis of, for example, whether the measurement value from the sensor is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. Furthermore, the determination unit 217 may determine whether a person is present on the basis of the measurement value corrected using the degree of reflection described above, for example.

The operation determination unit 218 determines, as the operation details, the amount of humidification and the amount of airflow to operate at on the basis of a combination of the determination result obtained from the measurement value, the installation location, and the operation time, for example.

The home appliance control unit 219 controls the air conditioner 105 in accordance with the operation details based on the installation location and the determination result obtained from the measurement value. In addition, the home appliance control unit 219 may control the air conditioner 105 in accordance with the operation details based on the determination result obtained from a combination of the plurality of measurement values, for example. In addition, in a case where the installation location is a bedroom and the operation time is nighttime, the home appliance control unit 219 may control the air conditioner 105 using, as the operation detail, an operation of humidifying at an amount of humidification lower than a standard amount of humidification or an operation of sending air at an airflow less than a standard airflow.

The operation information acquisition unit 220 acquires information relating to the user operation of the air conditioner 105, for example. The operation information acquisition unit 220 acquires information relating to a user operation to adjust the operation details, for example, after the air conditioner 105 is running in accordance with operation details determined by the operation determination unit 218, for example.

For example, after the air conditioner 105 has started running in accordance with the operation details determined by the operation determination unit 218, feedback of the user operation to adjust the operation details is given, and the learning unit 221 changes the correspondence between the determination result obtained from the measurement value and the operation details.

The sound output control unit 222, after the air conditioner 105 is started in accordance with the determined operation details, outputs a predetermined sound to the air conditioner 105 in accordance with the determination result obtained from the measurement value and the operation time, for example.

The storage unit 202 is a storage device capable of storing any information, and may be configured, for example, by a hard disk, a silicon state drive (SSD), a semiconductor memory, a DVD, or the like.

Method for Determining Use Condition for Obtaining Measurement Value from Sensor

FIGS. 3A to 3C are diagrams illustrating examples of information indicating the use conditions for using a measurement value from the sensor and the operation details of the air conditioner 105. FIG. 3A is a diagram illustrating an example of information indicating the use condition described above based on the installation location and the operation time. FIG. 3B is a diagram illustrating an example of information indicating the type of operation mode based on the installation location and the operation time. FIG. 3C is a diagram illustrating an example of information indicating the operation details of the air conditioner 105 corresponding to the type of operation mode.

The condition determination unit 214 determines the use condition for using the measurement value from a plurality of sensors (for example, a motion sensor, an illumination sensor, an odor and dust sensor, and the like) depending on the installation location (for example, a bedroom, living room, entrance, and the like) and the operation time (for example, morning, daytime, nighttime, and the like).

As illustrated in FIG. 3A, in a case where, for example, the installation location is “bedroom” and the operation time is “nighttime”, the condition determination unit 214 determines the use condition to be that the measurement values from the motion sensor, the illumination sensor, and the odor and dust sensor are not used. Also, in a case where, for example, the installation location is “entrance” and the operation time is any time, the condition determination unit 214 determines the use condition to be that the measurement values from the motion sensor and the illumination sensor are not used, but the measurement value from the odor and dust sensor is used. Also, in a case where, for example, the installation location is “living room” and the operation time is any time, the condition determination unit 214 determines the use condition to be that the measurement values from all of the sensors are used.

Note that. regarding the condition determination unit 214, instead of the use conditions described above, the use condition may be a selection condition indicating which measurement value to select from the measurement values acquired from the sensors or an acquisition condition indicating which sensor to acquire the measurement value from. That is, the measurement value acquisition unit 213 may obtain the measurement value from all of the sensors provided in the air conditioner 105, for example, and the measurement value selection unit 215 may select, from the measurement values of all of the sensors, only the measurement value from the sensor corresponding to the selection condition based on the installation location and the operation time. Additionally, the measurement value acquisition unit 213 may acquire the measurement value from only the sensor corresponding to the acquisition condition described above, for example, and the measurement value selection unit 215 may select the acquired measurement value.

The server 100 may transmit, to the air conditioner 105 via the communication unit 201, the type of sensor compatible with the measurement value corresponding to the aforementioned use condition, the air conditioner 105 may acquire the measurement value from the sensor corresponding to the received use conditions and transmit the measurement value to the server 100, and the measurement value acquisition unit 213 may acquire the received measurement value.

As a result, the server 100 can acquire and use the measurement value from an appropriate sensor in accordance with the installation location and the operation time from among the plurality of sensors. In addition, the server 100 can appropriately determine whether a person is present on the basis of the measurement value from an appropriate sensor.

Method for Determining Operation Mode on the Basis of Installation Location and Operation Time

The operation determination unit 218 determines whether a person is present on the basis of the measurement value from the sensor corresponding to the use condition described above and determines the operation mode on the basis of the determination result, the installation location, and the operation time.

Specifically, in a case where the server 100 acquires that, for example, the installation location is “bedroom” and the operation time is “nighttime”, the measurement value selection unit 215 does not use the measurement value from the motion sensor, the illumination sensor, and the odor and dust sensor on the basis of the use condition described above (see FIG. 3A). Next, the determination unit 217, for example, may obtain a determination result of “a person is present” that assumes a person is present without determining whether a person is present using the measurement value.

As illustrated in FIG. 3B, the operation determination unit 218 then determines “mode 3” as the operation mode on the basis of the “a person is present” determination result, the “bedroom” installation location, and the “nighttime” operation time. Here, in a case where the installation location is “bedroom” and the operation time is “nighttime”, the operation determination unit 218 may always determine the operation mode to be “mode 3” without using the determination result of whether a person is present.

Also, in a case where the server 100 acquires that, for example, the installation location is “entrance” and the operation time is “daytime”, on the basis of the use conditions described above, the measurement value selection unit 215 does not use the measurement value from the motion sensor and the illumination sensor and uses the measurement value from the odor and dust sensor (see FIG. 3A). Next, the determination unit 217 determines whether the measurement value from the odor and dust sensor is greater than a predetermined value and, in a case where the measurement value is greater than the predetermined value, the determination unit 217 determines that a person is present and obtains the determination result of “a person is present”. For example, the determination unit 217 may determine that a person is present if the measurement value for odor is greater than a predetermined value or if the measurement value for dust is greater than a predetermined value.

Next, in a case where the installation location is “entrance”, the operation time is “daytime”, and the determination result is that “a person is present”, the operation determination unit 218 determines “mode 2” as the operation mode, and in a case where the determination result is that “a person is not present”, determines “mode 4” as the operation mode (see FIG. 3B).

In this manner, the server 100 can determine an appropriate operation mode according to the installation location, the operation time, and the determination result from a measurement value from an appropriate sensor.

Method for Determining Operation Detail Corresponding to Operation Mode

The operation determination unit 218 determines the operation details (for example, the humidification level and the air flow) of the air conditioner 105 corresponding to the determined operation mode.

As illustrated in FIG. 3C, in a case where the determined operation mode is “mode 1,” the operation determination unit 218 may determine the operation details to be “high” humidification and “high” airflow. In addition, in a similar manner, when the operation mode is “mode 2”, the operation determination unit 218 may determine the operation details to be “medium” humidification and “medium” airflow, when the operation mode is “mode 3”, “low” humidification and “low” airflow, and when the operation mode is “mode 4”, “stop” humidification and “medium” airflow.

Here, the operation determination unit 218 determines the operation detail to be “low” humidification when, for example, the air conditioner 105 is run at an amount of humidification that is less than the standard amount of humidification (for example, approximately the middle level of humidification amount the air conditioner 105 is capable of). Similarly, when the air conditioner 105 is run at an amount of humidification that is greater than the standard amount of humidification, the operation determination unit 218 determines the operation detail to be “high” humidification, and when the air conditioner 105 is run at an amount of humidification that is roughly the same as the standard amount of humidification, the operation determination unit 218 determines the operation detail to be “medium” humidification.

Also, the operation determination unit 218 determines the operation detail to be “low” airflow when, for example, the air conditioner 105 is run at an airflow that is less than the standard airflow (for example, approximately the middle level of airflow the air conditioner 105 is capable of). Similarly, when the air conditioner 105 is run at an airflow that is greater than the standard airflow, the operation determination unit 218 determines the operation detail to be “high” airflow, and when the air conditioner 105 is run at an airflow that is roughly the same as the standard airflow, the operation determination unit 218 determines the operation detail to be “medium” airflow.

In this manner, the server 100 can determine an appropriate operation detail according to the installation location, the operation time, and the determination result from a measurement value from an appropriate sensor, and the air conditioner 105 can be efficiently run in accordance with the determined operation details.

Specific Examples of Determined Operation Details

FIGS. 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating examples of specific determined operation details when the device ID, installation location, and the operation time of the home appliance is acquired by the server 100. FIG. 4A is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation details in a case where the installation location of the air conditioner 105 is “bedroom”. FIG. 4B is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation details in a case where the installation location of the air conditioner 105 is “living room” and “entrance”.

As illustrated in FIG. 4A, in a case where the installation location acquisition unit 211 acquires “K1” for the device ID of the air conditioner 105 and “bedroom” for the installation location and the operation time acquisition unit 212 acquires “23:00” for the operation time, the condition determination unit 214 determines that the operation time “23:00” corresponds to “nighttime” and determines the use condition to not use the measurement value from the motion sensor, the illumination sensor, and the odor and dust sensor, in accordance with the installation location of “bedroom” and the operation time of “nighttime” (see FIG. 3A). Here, the condition determination unit 214 may determine, for the operation time, that from 4:00 to 11:00 is “morning”, from 11:00 to 17:00 is “daytime”, and from 17:00 to 4:00 is “nighttime”.

Then, the measurement value selection unit 215 does not use the measurement value of the motion sensor, the illumination sensor, and the odor and dust sensor on the basis of the use condition described above, and the determination unit 217, for example, may obtain a determination result of “person present” that assumes a person is present without determining whether a person is present using the measurement value. Next, the operation determination unit 218 acquires the operation mode “mode 3” (see FIG. 3B), in accordance with a determination result of “a person is present”, the installation location of “bedroom”, and the operation time of “nighttime”, and acquires the humidification of “low” and the airflow of “low” in accordance with “mode 3” (see FIG. 3C).

In this manner, in the bedroom at nighttime, the server 100 can quietly run the air conditioner 105 at all times with the humidification on “low” and the airflow on “low”, regardless of the measurement value of the sensor and see prevent the sleep of the user being disturbed by the operation sound of the air conditioner 105. That is, with a typical air conditioner, in a case where it is determined via a motion sensor that a person is present, the air conditioner is operated in accordance with the environment (for example, the humidity and temperature) of the installation location. However, with the server 100, in a case where the installation location is “bedroom” and the operation time is “nighttime”, even if a person is actually present, the air conditioner 105 can be quietly run.

In addition, with a typical air conditioner, in a case where the measurement value from the illumination sensor is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the air conditioner runs in a bedtime humidification mode. Thus, in a case where the user sleeps with the lights dimmed slightly and does not turn the lights completely off, the measurement value from the illumination sensor will not reach a value equal to or less than the predetermined value and the bedtime humidification mode will not activate. However, with the server 100, in a case where the installation location is “bedroom” and the operation time is “nighttime”, regardless of the brightness in the bedroom, the air conditioner 105 can be quietly run at all times.

As illustrated in FIG. 4B, in a case where the installation location acquisition unit 211 acquires “K2” for the device ID of the air conditioner 105 and “entrance” for the installation location and the operation time acquisition unit 212 acquires “8:00” for the operation time, the condition determination unit 214 determines that the operation time “8:00” corresponds to “morning” and determines the use condition for using the measurement value from only the odor and dust sensor in accordance with the installation location of “entrance” and the operation time of “morning” (see FIG. 3A).

Next, in a case where the determination unit 217 obtains the determination result of “a person is present”, the operation determination unit 218 determines, on the basis of the determination result from the determination unit 217 of “a person is present”, the installation location of “entrance”, and the operation time of “morning”, the operation mode to be “mode 1” (see FIG. 3B) and determines the humidification to be “high” and the airflow to be “high” in accordance with “mode 1” (see FIG. 3C). Then, in a case where the determination result from the determination unit 217 is “a person is not present”, in a similar manner, the operation determination unit 218 determines the operation mode to be “mode 4” (see FIG. 3B) and determines the humidification to be “stop” and the airflow to be “medium” (see FIG. 3C).

In this manner, in a case where the installation location is “entrance”, the server 100 can determine the appropriate operation details on the basis of the determination result of only the measurement value from the odor and dust sensor. That is, with a typical air conditioner, in a case where the installation location is an entrance, each time a person enters or leaves or the entrance light is turned on or off, the operation detail changes on the basis of the determination result from the measurement value of the motion sensor or illumination sensor. However, with the server 100, the operation detail can be appropriately changed only in the case of a determination result indicating a change in the state of the air, such as odor or dust in the entrance increasing or the like, obtained via the measurement value from the odor and dust sensor. This has the effect that the server 100 does not wastefully run the air conditioner 105 and runs the air conditioner 105 efficiently, reducing power consumption.

Also, in a case where the installation location acquisition unit 211 acquires “K3” for the device ID of the air conditioner 105 and “living room” for the installation location and the operation time acquisition unit 212 acquires “13:00” for the operation time, the condition determination unit 214 determines that the operation time “13:00” corresponds to “daytime” and determines the use condition for using the measurement value from the motion sensor, the illumination sensor, and the odor and dust sensor, in accordance with the installation location of “living room” and the operation time of “daytime” (see FIG. 3A). Then, in a similar manner, the operation determination unit 218 determines the humidification and airflow in accordance with the determination result of whether a person is present, the installation location of “living room” and the operation time of “daytime”.

In this manner, no matter the installation location and no matter the operation time, the server 100 can determine the appropriate operation on the basis of the measurement value from an appropriate sensor based on the installation location and the operation time.

Method for Determining the Degree of Reflection for Reflecting the Measurement Value

Before the determination unit 217 obtains a determination result of whether a person in present on the basis of the measurement value from the sensor, the degree of reflection determination unit 216 determines the degree of reflection indicating how much to reflect the obtained measurement value in accordance with the installation location and the operation time. Next, the determination unit 217 determines whether a person is present on the basis of the measurement value corrected using the degree of reflection described above.

In other words, the degree of reflection determination unit 216 may, depending on the relationship between the installation location and the operation time, and under the use condition determined by the condition determination unit 214, set a use condition of not using the measurement value of one sensor as a use condition of lowering the degree of reflection of the measurement value of the sensor, associate together the type of sensor and the degree of reflection, and output this to the determination unit 217.

Specifically, in a case where the use condition is to not use the measurement value of the illumination sensor, the degree of reflection determination unit 216 associates together the illumination sensor and a low degree of reflection of “0.2” and outputs this to the determination unit 217. Then, the determination unit 217 obtains a corrected measurement value by multiplying the measurement value from the illumination sensor by the degree of reflection of “0.2” and determines whether a person is present on the basis of the corrected measurement value. In other words, the determination unit 217 corrects the measurement value from the illumination sensor to a lower measurement value and uses this in a determination. Accordingly, the weighing of the measurement value from the illumination sensor is decreased when determining whether a person is present.

In this manner, the server 100 can appropriately determine whether a person is present using the measurement value at an appropriate level corresponding to the use condition in accordance with the installation location and the operation time.

Feedback Processing of User Operation

After the air conditioner 105 starts to operate in accordance with the operation details received from the server 100, when the user performs an operation to adjust the operation details of the air conditioner 105, the air conditioner 105 transmits the user operation to the server 100. Then, the operation information acquisition unit 220 acquires the user operation from the air conditioner 105. Next, the learning unit 221 changes the correspondence between the determination result obtained from the measurement value and the operation details, for example, on the basis of the user operation.

Then, after the learning unit 221 changes the correspondence between the determination result and the operation details, when the operation details are determined in accordance with the installation location and the operation time acquired by the server 100, the operation determination unit 218 references the correspondence relationship between the determination result and the operation details obtained via feedback of the user operation and determines the operation details in accordance with determination result of the obtained measurement value, the installation location, and the operation time.

For example, in a case where the user performs an operation and changes the humidification to “high” after the server 100 has started running the air conditioner 105 at the operation details of “low” humidification and “low” airflow in accordance with the installation location being “bedroom” and the operation time being “nighttime”, the operation information acquisition unit 220 acquires the details of the user operation. Next, the learning unit 221 changes the operation detail of “low” humidification in accordance with the operation mode “mode 3” in accordance with the installation location being “bedroom”, the operation time being “nighttime”, and the determination result by the determination unit 217 being “a person is present” to “high” humidification. Then, when the server 100 determines the operation details with the same conditions of the installation location being “bedroom”, the operation time being “nighttime”, and the determination result being “a person is present”, the humidification is set to “high”.

In this manner, the server 100 is provided with feedback of the user operation on the air conditioner 105 and can determine the operation details appropriate to the user.

Here, when the installation location is the same, the operation time is the same, and the same user operation is acquired a number of times equal to or greater than a predetermined number of times (for example, two), the learning unit 221 may change the correspondence between the determination result obtained from the measurement value and the operation details on the basis of the user operation. In other words, the learning unit changes the correspondence in accordance with the number of times feedback relating to the user operation has been provided.

In this manner, with the server 100, feedback relating to the user operation is not provided in the case of a mistaken user operation of the air conditioner 105, and the user operation is reflected in the operation details to be determined only when the same operation is reliably performed by the user a number of time equal to or greater than a predetermined number of times (for example, the same operation three or more consecutive times or the same operation during the same time period on different days), and appropriate operation details can be determined on the basis of the user operation.

Sound Output Processing from Air Conditioner 105

The sound output control unit 222, after the air conditioner 105 is started in accordance with the determined operation details, may transmit a predetermined sound to the air conditioner 105, for example. Additionally, the sound output control unit 222, for example, may transmit the sound information to the air conditioner 105 after sound information corresponding to the operation details determined by the operation determination unit 218 is acquired from the storage unit 202 and the air conditioner 105 is started in accordance with the operation details. Then, the air conditioner 105 outputs the received sound information from a sound output unit included in the air conditioner 105.

Specifically, the sound output control unit 222 transmits, to the air conditioner 105, sound information of “humidification set to low, airflow set to low” corresponding to the determined operation details of “low” humidification and “low” airflow, and the air conditioner 105 outputs the sound information from the sound output unit.

In this manner, the server 100 can output sound representing the operation details at the same time as the air conditioner 105 starts operation in accordance with the determined operation details, allowing the user to be easily informed of the operation details.

Processing Performed in Information Processing System 121

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed on a user terminal (for example, the smartphone 110 a). As illustrated in FIG. 5, when the air conditioner 105 is installed by the user and the smartphone 110 a owned by the user and the air conditioner 105 are connected, a screen where settings information including the installation location of the air conditioner 105 and the like can be entered is displayed. Then, when “transmit” is entered, the smartphone 110 a transmits the information of the installation location entered into the “installation location” input field to the server 100.

Here, the smartphone 110 a may associate together home appliance information (for example, the device ID, the model name, the manufacture number, and the like) that can be used to identify the air conditioner 105 and the installation location and may transmit this to the server 100. The smartphone 110 a may receive the operation time of the air conditioner 105 and the user operation to adjust the operation details of the air conditioner 105 from the air conditioner 105 and may transmit the operation time and the user operation to the server 100.

In this manner, for a plurality of home appliances, the server 100 can associate together the home appliance, the installation location of the home appliance, and the operation details of the home appliance and manage these. Also, in a case where a home appliance installed at one installation location is replaced with another home appliance, the server 100 can reference the operation details of the home appliance that was installed at the installation location and set them as the operation details for the replacement home appliance.

Processing Performed in Server 100

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing executed by the server 100.

First, the installation location acquisition unit 211 receives and acquires the installation location of the air conditioner 105 from air conditioner 105 or the smartphone 110 a (or the notebook PC 110 b) connected to the server 100 (step S101). Next, the operation time acquisition unit 212 receives and acquires the operation time of the air conditioner 105 from air conditioner 105 or the smartphone 110 a (or the notebook PC 110 b) connected to the server 100 (step S102).

Then, the condition determination unit 214 determines a use condition for using the measurement value from the sensor provided in the air conditioner 105 in accordance with the installation location and the operation time (step S103). Next, the measurement value selection unit 215, on the basis of the use condition, selects the measurement value from among the sensor measurement values acquired by the measurement value acquisition unit 213 (step S104).

Then, the determination unit 217 obtains, as the determination result, the result of determining whether a person is present in the installation location from the selected measurement value described above (step S105). Next, the operation determination unit 218 determines the operation details (for example, the amount of humidification and the airflow) on the basis of the determination result (step S106). Then, the home appliance control unit 219 execute control to run the air conditioner 105 in accordance with the determined operation details (step S107).

Effect Achieved by Server 100

The server 100 can acquire the measurement value from the appropriate sensor in accordance with the installation location and the operation time of the air conditioner 105, and it is possible to appropriately determine whether a person is present using the measurement value. In other words, the server 100 can determine the appropriate method of use for the sensor provided in the air conditioner 105 on the basis of the installation location and the operation time.

Accordingly, the effect of the server 100 being able to determine the appropriate operation details according to the installation location, the operation time, and the determination result from a measurement value from an appropriate sensor is achieved. This has the effect that the server 100 can control the air conditioner 105 in accordance with efficient operation details in a manner appropriate for the installation location.

Second Embodiment

A second embodiment (Embodiment 2) will be described with reference to FIG. 7. In the second embodiment, configurations added to the first embodiment and configurations different from the configurations will be described. In other words, when the contents of the first embodiment and the contents of the second embodiment overlap, the description regarding these contents will be omitted.

Differences from First Embodiment

The server 100 according to the first embodiment acquires, from the air conditioner 105, a measurement value from a sensor in accordance with the installation location and the operation time, transmits to the air conditioner 105 the operation details based on the installation location and the determination result obtained from the measurement value, and controls the air conditioner 105. In contrast, in the air conditioner 105 according to the second embodiment, the air conditioner 105 may execute the processing up until the determining of the operation details by the server 100 in the first embodiment. The home appliance system may also be the air conditioner 105.

Configuration of Air Conditioner 105

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of main portions of the air conditioner 105. As illustrated in FIG. 7, the air conditioner 105 may include an input unit 701, a communication unit 702, a sensor unit 703, a storage unit 704, an output unit 705, and a control unit 710. The control unit 710 may include, for example, an installation location acquisition unit 711, an operation time acquisition unit 712, a measurement value acquisition unit 713, a condition determination unit 714, a measurement value selection unit 715, a degree of reflection determination unit 716, a determination unit 717, an operation determination unit 718, a home appliance control unit 719, an operation information acquisition unit 720, a learning unit 721, and a sound output control unit 722.

The control unit 710 has a function of integrally controlling various types of functions of the air conditioner 105, and is realized by a controller (a processor) such as a central processing unit (CPU), for example.

The input unit 701 receives the details of a user operation through, for example, a key installed on the outer surface of the air conditioner 105, a display device with a touch panel, a remote control, or the like.

The communication unit 702 acquires the installation location from, for example, a user terminal (for example, the smartphone 110 a or the notebook PC 110 b).

The sensor unit 703 may include, for example, a motion sensor 703 a, an illumination sensor 703 b, and an odor and dust sensor 703 c. The motion sensor 703 a is, for example, a sensor that detects whether a person is present. The illumination sensor 703 b is, for example, a sensor that senses ambient brightness. The odor and dust sensor 703 c is, for example, a sensor that detects odors and dust in the surrounding air. Then, each sensor outputs the measurement value measured when detected to the control unit 710. Here, the measurement value is, for example, a measurement value indicating that a person is present, a measurement value obtained by measuring the brightness, a measurement value obtained by measuring odors, or a measurement value obtained by measuring the amount of dust.

The installation location acquisition unit (acquisition unit) 711 acquires the installation location from the user terminal (for example, the smartphone 110 a or the notebook PC 110 b). Additionally, the installation location acquisition unit 711 may acquire the installation location input from the input unit 701.

The operation time acquisition unit 712 measures and acquires the operation time indicating, for example, the time when the air conditioner 105 is running.

The measurement value acquisition unit 713 acquires, from each sensor, measurement values measured when detected by, for example, the motion sensor 703 a, the illumination sensor 703 b, and the odor and dust sensor 703 c.

The condition determination unit 714, the measurement value selection unit 715, the degree of reflection determination unit 716, the determination unit 717, the operation determination unit 718, and the learning unit 721 are the same as the condition determination unit 214, the measurement value selection unit 215, the degree of reflection determination unit 216, the determination unit 217, the operation determination unit 218, and the learning unit 221 in the server 100, and explanations thereof are omitted.

The home appliance control unit 719 controls the air conditioner 105 so as to output the operation details (for example, the amount of humidification or airflow) based on the installation location and the determination result obtained from the measurement value from the output unit 705 (for example, a humidification unit 705 a or an air sending unit 705 b).

The sound output control unit 722, after the air conditioner 105 is started in accordance with the determined operation details, outputs a predetermined sound to a sound output unit 705 c in accordance with the determination result obtained from the measurement value and the operation time, for example.

The operation information acquisition unit 720 acquires information relating to a user operation the user entered via the input unit 701, for example, after the air conditioner 105 is running in accordance with operation details determined by the operation determination unit 718, for example.

The output unit 705 includes, for example, the humidification unit 705 a for humidifying, an air sending unit 705 b for sending air, a sound output unit 705 c for outputting sound, and a display unit 705 d for performing display and is controlled by the control unit 710.

The storage unit 704 is a storage device capable of storing any information, and may be configured, for example, by a hard disk, a silicon state drive (SSD), a semiconductor memory, or the like.

Effects Achieved by Air Conditioner 105

The air conditioner 105 can acquire the measurement value from the appropriate sensor in accordance with the installation location and the operation time of the air conditioner 105, and it is possible to appropriately determine whether a person is present using the measurement value. In other words, the air conditioner 105 can determine the appropriate method of use for the sensor provided in the air conditioner 105 on the basis of the installation location and the operation time.

Accordingly, the effect of the air conditioner 105 being able to determine the appropriate operation details according to the installation location, the operation time, and the determination result from a measurement value from an appropriate sensor is achieved. This has the effect that the air conditioner 105 can operate in accordance with efficient operation details in a manner appropriate for the installation location.

Supplement

The above-described embodiment may be described in the following manner, but is not limited to the following mode.

A home appliance system according to a first aspect of the present disclosure may include, for example, an acquisition unit that acquires an installation location of a home appliance; a condition determination unit that determines a use condition for using a measurement value from at least one sensor provided in the home appliance in accordance with the installation location and an operation time when the home appliance is run; and a home appliance control unit that controls the home appliance in accordance with an operation detail based on the installation location and a determination result obtained from the measurement value.

A home appliance system according to a second aspect of the present disclosure has the configuration of the first aspect described above, wherein the condition determination unit may determine, as the use condition, a condition for using each one of a plurality of measurement values from a plurality of sensors provided in the home appliance; and the home appliance control unit may control the home appliance in accordance with the operation detail based on the determination result obtained from a combination of the plurality of measurement values.

A home appliance system according to a third aspect of the present disclosure has the configuration of the first or second aspect described above, further including a determination unit that may obtain, as the determination result, a result of whether a person is present in the installation location determined using the measurement value.

A home appliance system according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure has the configuration of any one of the first to third aspects described above, wherein in a case where the installation location is a bedroom and the operation time is nighttime, the home appliance control unit may control the home appliance using, as the operation detail, an operation of humidifying at an amount of humidification lower than a standard amount of humidification or an operation of sending air at an airflow less than a standard airflow.

A home appliance system according to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure has the configuration of any one of the first to fourth aspects described above, further including an operation determination unit that may determine, as the operation detail, operating at an amount of humidification or an airflow based on a combination of the determination result, the installation location, and the operation time.

A home appliance system according to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure has the configuration of any one of the first to fifth aspects described above, further including a degree of reflection determination unit that may determine, in accordance with a relationship between the installation location and the operation time, a degree of reflection indicating a degree to which the measurement value is reflected when obtaining the determination result from the measurement value.

A home appliance system according to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure has the configuration of any one of the first to sixth aspects described above, further including a learning unit that may obtain feedback from a user operation to adjust the operation detail after the home appliance is running in accordance with the operation detail and change a correspondence between the determination result and the operation detail.

A home appliance system according to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure has the configuration of any one of the first to seventh aspects described above, further including a sound output control unit that may cause the home appliance to output a predetermined sound in accordance with the determination result and the operation time after the home appliance is running in accordance with the operation detail.

A home appliance system according to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure has the configuration of any one of the first to eighth aspects described above, wherein the condition determination unit may determine, as the use condition, a condition for using a measurement value from an odor and dust sensor provided in the home appliance, in a case where the installation location is an entrance.

A control method for a home appliance system according to a tenth aspect of the present disclosure may include acquiring an installation location of a home appliance; determining a use condition for using a measurement value from at least one sensor provided in the home appliance in accordance with the installation location and an operation time when the home appliance is run; and controlling the home appliance in accordance with an operation detail based on the installation location and a determination result obtained from the measurement value.

A control program according to an eleventh aspect of the present disclosure may cause a home appliance system to implement an acquisition function that acquires an installation location of a home appliance; a condition determination function that determines a use condition for using a measurement value from at least one sensor provided in the home appliance in accordance with the installation location and an operation time when the home appliance is run; and a home appliance control function that controls the home appliance in accordance with an operation detail based on the installation location and a determination result obtained from the measurement value.

Implementation Example by Software

A control block provided in the server 100 (each of the units included in the control unit 210) may be implemented by software using a controller (a processor), such as a central processing unit (CPU). In other words, the server 100 includes a CPU that executes command of a control program, which is software for implementing each function, a read only memory (ROM) or a storage device (these are each referred to as a “recording medium”) that stores the control program and various types of data in a manner capable of being read by a computer (or the CPU), a random access memory (RAM) that develops the control program, and the like. Then, the computer (or the CPU) reads the control program from the recording medium and executes the control program to achieve an example of the object of an aspect of the present disclosure. As the recording medium, a “non-transitory tangible medium”, such as a tape, a disk, a card, a semiconductor memory, and a programmable logic circuit may be used. Further, the control program may be supplied to the computer via a chosen transmission medium (a communication network, a broadcast wave, or the like) capable of transmitting the control program. Note that an aspect of the present disclosure may be implemented in the form of a data signal embedded in a carrier wave, in which the above-described control program is realized by electronic transmission. Note that the control program can be implemented in any programming language. For example, the control program may be implemented using a scripting language such as ActionScript or JavaScript (trademarks), an object-oriented programming language such as Objective-C and Java (trademarks), a markup language such as HTML5, and the like. Further, a server that is provided with an information processing terminal (a smartphone or a personal computer, for example) provided with each of units that implement each function implemented by the control program, and with each of units that implement remaining functions other than each of the functions described above is also included within the scope of the present disclosure. 

1. A home appliance system, comprising: an acquisition unit configured to acquire an installation location of a home appliance; a condition determination unit configured to determine a use condition for using a measurement value from at least one sensor provided in the home appliance in accordance with the installation location and an operation time when the home appliance is run; and a home appliance control unit configured to control the home appliance in accordance with an operation detail based on the installation location and a determination result obtained from the measurement value.
 2. The home appliance system according to claim 1, wherein the condition determination unit determines, as the use condition, a condition for using each one of a plurality of measurement values from a plurality of sensors provided in the home appliance; and the home appliance control unit controls the home appliance in accordance with the operation detail based on the determination result obtained from a combination of the plurality of measurement values.
 3. The home appliance system according to claim 1, further comprising: a determination unit configured to obtain, as the determination result, a result of whether a person is present in the installation location determined using the measurement value.
 4. The home appliance system according to claim 1, wherein in a case where the installation location is a bedroom and the operation time is nighttime, the home appliance control unit controls the home appliance using, as the operation detail, an operation of humidifying at an amount of humidification lower than a standard amount of humidification or an operation of sending air at an airflow less than a standard airflow.
 5. The home appliance system according to claim 1, further comprising: an operation determination unit configured to determine, as the operation detail, operating at an amount of humidification or an airflow based on a combination of the determination result, the installation location, and the operation time.
 6. The home appliance system according to claim 1, further comprising: a degree of reflection determination unit configured to determine, in accordance with a relationship between the installation location and the operation time, a degree of reflection indicating a degree to which the measurement value is reflected when obtaining the determination result from the measurement value.
 7. The home appliance system according to claim 1, further comprising: a learning unit configured to obtain feedback from a user operation to adjust the operation detail after the home appliance is running in accordance with the operation detail and change a correspondence between the determination result and the operation detail.
 8. The home appliance system according to claim 1, further comprising: a sound output control unit configured to cause the home appliance to output a predetermined sound in accordance with the determination result and the operation time after the home appliance is running in accordance with the operation detail.
 9. The home appliance system according to claim 1, wherein the condition determination unit determines, as the use condition, a condition for using a measurement value from an odor and dust sensor provided in the home appliance, in a case where the installation location is an entrance.
 10. A control method for a home appliance system, comprising: acquiring an installation location of a home appliance; determining a use condition for using a measurement value from at least one sensor provided in the home appliance in accordance with the installation location and an operation time when the home appliance is run; and controlling the home appliance in accordance with an operation detail based on the installation location and a determination result obtained from the measurement value.
 11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a control program that causes a home appliance system to implement: an acquisition function that acquires an installation location of a home appliance; a condition determination function that determines a use condition for using a measurement value from at least one sensor provided in the home appliance in accordance with the installation location and an operation time when the home appliance is run; and a home appliance control function that controls the home appliance in accordance with an operation detail based on the installation location and a determination result obtained from the measurement value. 